Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-06-13

swered. how sweet it will be to die! This
world is clever enough to us. Perhaps 1t
has treated us a great deal better than we
deserved to be treated; bat if on the dying
pillow there shall break the light OF that
better world, we shall have no more re-
gret about leaving a small, dark, damp
house for one large, beautiful, and capa-
cious. That dying minister in Philadel-
phia, some years ago, beautifully depicted
il when, in the last moment, be threw up
his hands aud cried out: II move into the
| light
Pass on now, and l will show you one
more picture, and that is
STEPHEN ASLEEP.
With pathos and simplicity peculiar to
the Scriptures, the the text says OF
Stephen "He fell asleep" 90" you
say, what place that was TO sleep! A
hard rock under him, and stones falling
down upon him, the blood streaming, the
mob bowling. What place il was to
Sleep And yet my text takes that sym
Dol of slumber TO describe his departure,
80 sweet was it, so contented was it, 81
peaceful was it. Stephen hal lived very
laborious life His chief work had been To
care for the poor. How many loaves of
bread he distributed, how many bare feet
he had sandaled, how many cots Of sick
ness and distress he blessed with ministries
OF kindness and love, do not know but
from the way he lived and the way he
preached. and the way he died, | know he
was a laborious Christian. But that is
all over now. lie has pressed
the cup TO the last iainting lip.
lie has taken the last insult from his
enemies. The last stone to whose crush
ing weight he is susceptible has been
hurled. Stephen is dead. The disciples
come They take him up. They wash
away the blood from the wounds. They
straighten out the bruised limbs. They
brush back the tangled hair from the
brow, and then they pass around 10 look
upon the calm countenance OF him who
had lived for the poor and died for the
truth Stephen asleep! have seen the
sea driven with the hurricane until the
tangled foam caught in the rigging, and
wave risiLg above wave seemed as if about
TO storm the heavens, and then | have
seen the tempest drop, and the waves
crouch, and everything become smooth
and FURNISHED as though camping place
for the glories of heaven. So ! have seen
man, whose life has been
tossed and driven, coming down
at last To an infinite calm,
| in which there was the hush of heavens
lullaby. Stephen asleep. saw such an
one He fought all his days against pov.
erty and against abuse. They traduced
his name. They ratified at the door knob
while he was dying. with duns for debts
he could not pay; yet the peace of God
broOded over his pillow, and while the
world faded, heaven dawned and the deep.
ening twilight of carth's night was only
opening OF heavens morn. Not q sigh.
Not tear Nota struggle Hush! stephen
asleep,
] have not
THE FACILITY To TELL The WEATHER.
| can never tell by the setting sun whether
there will he q drought or not. | cannot
tell by the blowing of the wind whether
il will he fair weather or foul or foul on
the morrow. Bat can prophesy, and !
will prophesv what weather il will he
when YOU, the Christian. come 10 die.
You may have il very rough now.
II may he this week one annoyance,
the next another annoyance. II
may he this year one bereavement.
The next bereavement. Before this year
has passed you may have Ia beg for bread,
or ask for scuttle of coal or pair ot
shoes; bnt spread your death couch amid
the leaves of the forest, or make IL out Of
the straw Of a pauper's hut, the wolf in
the jungle bowling close by, or inexorable
creditors Jerking the pillow from under
your dying head-Christ will come in and
darkness will 90 out And though there
may he no hand 10 close your eyes, and no
breast on which to rest your dying head,
and no candle To lift the night, the odorS
of Gods hanging garden will rcgale your
soul, and at yOur bedside will halt the
chariots of the king. No more rents 10 pay,
no more agony because -four has gone up,
no more struggle with the world. the
flesh, and the devil" bnt peace-long,
deep, everlasting peace. Stephen asleep!
Asleep in Jesus blessed sleep.
From whIrh non" ever wax" ~ weep
\ calm and unflsturhcl repps"
TniuIur"d by the last Of tDcs.
Asleep In IcsrI, FAR from thee
Thy kindred AMI their graves may be-
But there l. -tll blessed sleep
From which none ever wax" tO weep"
YOu have seen enough for one morning.
No one can successfully y examine more than
five pictures in day. Therefore we stop,
having seen this cluster of Divine Raph-
aels-Stephen gazing ints heaven; Stephen
looking at Christ; Stephen stoned Stephen
in his dying prayer Stephen asleep.